More Information

Lyons: Hog in park trap sparks complaint

Published: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 at 1:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 at 12:12 a.m.

They aren't one of the natural sights visitors go to see, but hikers sometimes notice cages tucked away in wooded spots at Myakka River State Park.

They are usually baited with grain, and anyone familiar with the park's problems with invasive species knows why. Though most animals attracted to the grain can get in and back out without a problem, the cages trap feral hogs.

A contractor removes trapped hogs daily. They become barbecue or sausage or the like, because their meat and hides are the only pay the trap contractors get.

Without the trapping, hogs root up native plants at an alarming rate. Since they have few natural enemies — alligators and panthers don't make much of a dent — hogs running wild cause massive destruction if their population is unchecked.

Stephen Gray, an almost daily visitor who loves the park, understands all that. Trapping is necessary, he agrees.

But he certainly didn't like what he saw at one of the Myakka traps last week.

On Thursday, he came upon one near a spot called Clay Gully. He went to take a look and saw a hog in it. All seemed normal, and he assumed the hog — a pregnant female, it turned out — would be hauled away soon.

But when Gray returned on Saturday, the sow was still there.

That bothered him, because the cage had no water.

After at least two days or more in the trap, and apparently because of the dehydration and related stress, the sow had miscarried and started to eat the dead piglets.

“I know that hogs are an invasive, non-native that destroy native flora and fauna. I will not argue with destroying them,” Gray said. But “I will strongly argue with being cruel to them first.”

He had no obvious way to solve the animal cruelty situation aside from freeing the sow — not the best idea, given that a sign warned of a $10,000 fine — so he called a phone number posted on that sign.

The phone number was for a ranger station, and Gray reported the suffering animal.

But as it was Saturday, he feared that message might not get fast attention. To amp up the pressure, he posted photos of the caged hog on Facebook, where he also called for an animal cruelty investigation of the contractor.

“I did everything I could to make all the noise I could,” Gray said.

His posting urged an animal cruelty investigation of the contractor.

Jon Robinson, the state park's manger, told me Monday that Gray's social media announcement wasn't really necessary. The park staff responded promptly to the report and the sow was removed later that day.

But Robinson wanted to make it clear that the problem with that hog was unusual, and resulted from a mistake.

He said the mistake — though still being sorted out — was not the doing of the contractor.

The staff had recently shown a new contractor all the cages to check each day, but that one was not on the tour.

His staff thought it had been left unbaited with the door tied open.

“He had not been shown that trap,” Robinson said.

Somehow, though, there was a mix-up. Someone baited it and set it with the escape door locked.

Staff and volunteers help with those traps, Robinson said, but the system normally works well because no one wants such things to happen.

<p>They aren't one of the natural sights visitors go to see, but hikers sometimes notice cages tucked away in wooded spots at Myakka River State Park.</p><p>They are usually baited with grain, and anyone familiar with the park's problems with invasive species knows why. Though most animals attracted to the grain can get in and back out without a problem, the cages trap feral hogs.</p><p>A contractor removes trapped hogs daily. They become barbecue or sausage or the like, because their meat and hides are the only pay the trap contractors get.</p><p>Without the trapping, hogs root up native plants at an alarming rate. Since they have few natural enemies — alligators and panthers don't make much of a dent — hogs running wild cause massive destruction if their population is unchecked.</p><p>Stephen Gray, an almost daily visitor who loves the park, understands all that. Trapping is necessary, he agrees.</p><p>But he certainly didn't like what he saw at one of the Myakka traps last week.</p><p>On Thursday, he came upon one near a spot called Clay Gully. He went to take a look and saw a hog in it. All seemed normal, and he assumed the hog — a pregnant female, it turned out — would be hauled away soon.</p><p>But when Gray returned on Saturday, the sow was still there.</p><p>That bothered him, because the cage had no water. </p><p>After at least two days or more in the trap, and apparently because of the dehydration and related stress, the sow had miscarried and started to eat the dead piglets.</p><p>“I know that hogs are an invasive, non-native that destroy native flora and fauna. I will not argue with destroying them,” Gray said. But “I will strongly argue with being cruel to them first.”</p><p>He had no obvious way to solve the animal cruelty situation aside from freeing the sow — not the best idea, given that a sign warned of a $10,000 fine — so he called a phone number posted on that sign.</p><p>The phone number was for a ranger station, and Gray reported the suffering animal.</p><p>But as it was Saturday, he feared that message might not get fast attention. To amp up the pressure, he posted photos of the caged hog on Facebook, where he also called for an animal cruelty investigation of the contractor.</p><p>“I did everything I could to make all the noise I could,” Gray said.</p><p>His posting urged an animal cruelty investigation of the contractor.</p><p>Jon Robinson, the state park's manger, told me Monday that Gray's social media announcement wasn't really necessary. The park staff responded promptly to the report and the sow was removed later that day.</p><p>But Robinson wanted to make it clear that the problem with that hog was unusual, and resulted from a mistake.</p><p>He said the mistake — though still being sorted out — was not the doing of the contractor.</p><p>The staff had recently shown a new contractor all the cages to check each day, but that one was not on the tour. </p><p>His staff thought it had been left unbaited with the door tied open.</p><p>“He had not been shown that trap,” Robinson said.</p><p>Somehow, though, there was a mix-up. Someone baited it and set it with the escape door locked.</p><p>Staff and volunteers help with those traps, Robinson said, but the system normally works well because no one wants such things to happen.</p><p>Gray seems satisfied.</p><p>“The problem has been resolved,” he told me in a phone message.</p><p><i>Tom Lyons can be contacted at tom.lyons@heraldtribune.com</i></p>